Rio 2016: Bindra is in his all-time best form

The Indian shooting team we have today is full of stars. Anyone can shine on a given day. Over the last decade or so, shooting has become a priority sport in India. We pushed ourselves up for it to be recognised as a priority sport.

Unlike in the past, when just qualifying for the Olympics was the goal, the shooters of today prepare with an aim to win medals.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's silver in Athens 2004 followed by Abhinav Bindra's gold in 2008 have only inspired our current crop of shooters to grow up with a much positive mindset. With improved opportunities and funding from government as well as corporate bodies, today's shooters have created a platform for themselves, having already tasted success at the world level even before arriving at the Olympics. Having been there and done that, they are looking at the Olympics as just another competition where they can give a serious shot at winning.

In the earlier years, shooting was in its infancy with not much technological or coaching expertise available. After fighting in the dark and a long struggle, Indian shooting came of age in 2004. It was like an announcement that we have arrived with Rajyavardhan's medal. After that, there has been no looking back. In 2008, Bindra put a stamp on it with a gold in Beijing, announcing that we have arrived big time. And, at London 2012, Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar gave us the belief that we can win more than just one medal in shooting. That's how good we are.

Four years on, the number of stars has grown. The Rio-bound shooters are a good blend of the old and new. Each one is as talented as the other.

To begin with, we still have Abhinav. From what I have seen while training with him for so long, he is in his all-time best form. He has battled through a lot of injuries, and he has come back fitter and stronger than ever before.

After wrestler Sushil Kumar's back-to-back Olympic medal feat shattered any mental block one might have harboured about winning more than one Olympic individual medal, I am sure Abhinav could be the second Indian to do that. At the same time, we have Narang who is on the same pedestal. In fact, he would be hungrier to improve his medal colour in Rio. From my observation, I see him totally cut off from all the distractions this time around, which is very unlike him. I think he looks ready and raring to go.

These two powerhouses are psychologically one up, having been there already. They know exactly what to expect and they possess the right antidote.

Apart from these two, we have Heena Sidhu, who is into her second Olympics. As she rightly put it, in the last Olympics she was not really prepared. She had got a wild card then. She was overawed by the occasion. But she took notes in order to be better prepared for her next Olympics. And, here she is. She has worked hard for it. This time around, she won the Olympic quota as against the wild card last time. She has been World No. 1 and is also working with a very good psychologist.

You could be technically very good but psychologically not prepared for such a large stage like the Olympics. For a good performance, a lot of factors matter. The most important is for us to identify what we need the most.

Heena is bang on. She knew exactly where she needed most help. She has worked well along those lines.

If I have to bet, I would put my money on Heena because she is in a perfect position. She had the previous experience of being at the Olympic stage. Now, as former No. 1, she knows what it takes. She has all the right ingredients to make it to the podium.

She is not the only one, though. Equally close is Jitu Rai. This will be his first Olympic experience. But he has shown amazing consistency in the last two years and climbed the World No. 1 spot in April this year in Men's 50m pistol, and currently holds the No. 3 spot in 10m Air Pistol. He has had an amazing run-up to the Games. Nothing can stop him. Since this is his first Olympics, he should guard himself against getting overawed by the occasion. If that is taken care of, the world is at his feet.

Now coming to the other first-timers, let's take a look at Ayonika Paul and Apurvi Chandela. Both are very young and have made their mark with good performances over the last 2-3 years. Apurvi has been consistent at a very high level with a bronze and silver at two World Cups last year. On the other hand, Ayonika has proved her mettle by making it to the World Championships final two years ago with a fantastic score. Both of them, on the given day, have their chances. More than anything, it will be a very good learning experience for them. They will be strong contenders in the years to come.

Chain Singh is also a first-timer. He comes from an army background, just like Rai. When I think of them, I think of Vijay Kumar and Rajyavardhan Rathore. Army shooters are used to a lot of discipline and have a regimented life. They have the in-built toughness groomed over years of army training. This background could rule in Chain's favour. Having reached the finals at two of the four World Cups last year and winning medals at the Asian level, he could spring a surprise on his good day.

Manavjit Singh Sandhu has been there for so many years, with Rio being his fourth Olympic appearance in a row. That, in itself, is incredible. He is so determined that he says he is not going to give up shooting until he wins an Olympic medal. He will be my favourite at these Games. I really wish him success from the bottom of my heart. He has everything going in his favour. With two World Championship medals and six World Cup medals in his cupboard till now, an Olympic medal is the only missing piece of jewellery.

Enter Prakash Nanjappa. This 40-year-old has a very interesting story. He had quit shooting, was working in Canada. Something inside him told him that he wanted to shoot. He left everything and came back only to chase his Olympic dream. With a World Cup medal to his name and at least five finals appearances, his hard work and determination have helped him make it to the Olympics. He is purely driven by his mental strength. I would love to watch him realise his dream in Rio.

Gurpreet Singh and Kynan Chenai have both struggled in the last couple of years and worked hard to make a place for themselves. They have made the cut with their hard work. Pistol shooter Gurpreet has reached the World Cup finals eight times. He has tasted success in the Asian Shooting Championships in 2013 and 2015. Kynan is no new kid on the block as he has hit the senior's trap shooting scene since the last three years with two World Cup finals appearances. Both Gurpreet and Kynan have been able to qualify for Rio 2016. That proves their never-say-die approach.

To talk of the other 40-year-old Mairaj Ahmad Khan, India will be represented for the first time in Olympic history in the skeet event. In doing so, he has already achieved a milestone. For me, whether he wins or not, he is already a winner with this achievement. Any milestone achieved always breaks the barrier for generations to come. Milestones apart, Mairaj has been probing relentlessly at the international scene for over a decade now.

Having tasted only his major world-level success at the pre-cursor to this Olympics, at the Rio World Cup held earlier this year with a silver medal, he will hopefully feel at home at the Games.

What's new at this Olympics?

While the shooters are gearing up for the Games, one thing they have to be wary of is the noise. In terms if acoustics, the 10m indoor hall could be very noisy. And, for the first time in Olympics, they are going to start playing music while the competition is on to make it more interesting for the spectators. This is something that will challenge the shooters. They are used to having a very silent zone while competing. In Rio, concentrating will be the biggest challenge for all the shooters.

However, one thing that could work in India's favour is the format for the finals – scores start from zero – that was introduced in London 2012. In the words of the International Shooting Sport Federation, it was "designed to increase shooting's appeal to youth and make it more spectator and media friendly, as well as to keep competitions fair and equal". Even if you have not had a good score in the qualification round, you still have a chance of winning a medal as all finalists start from zero.

This, definitely, is an advantage for first-timers as they are full of energy and go out there with a free mind.

Another challenge, as in almost all the Olympic Games, is the distance from the Games Village to the shooting range. It takes at least one hour to reach the range.

That said, shooting is the first event of the Games, as always. And for the women – Ayonika and Apurvi – it is important to put their best foot forward because that is going to rev up the engine and set the tone not just for shooting but for the entire Indian contingent. In 2004, it happened with me in this same event, as my finals appearance was a spark for the rest of the shooters to fire away. Abhinav followed suit by reaching the finals the next day. Rathod packed the podium punch the next day after Abhinav's match, by winning the first medal in shooting.

Finally, it is only natural for everyone – the media and the public – to expect a bagful of medals from our shooters and athletes. At the same time, we should not forget to applaud a good performance. That is the spirit of the Games. All the athletes have come to this stage with very high-level performances. No matter what, in spite of a good fight, if for any reason they are not able to win medals, they will still be heroes. Their work should not be measured just by the medals but by their performances so far and beyond.

Personally for me, I am excited to be going back to Olympics after 12 years, this time as Ayonika's personal coach. I hope and pray that each one should be able to give his/ her personal best and not come back with any regret. Podium finishes will be the icing on the cake.

–The writer is a former Asian Games silver medalist and Commonwealth Games gold medalist. She reached the finals at the 2004 Athens Olympics in 10m air rifle. She had qualified for the Games with a world record score of 400/400 in the Asian Shooting Championships. An Arjuna Awardee, she is the personal coach of Rio-bound Ayonika Paul and will be accompanying her to the Games. She is the founder of Lakshya Shooting Club and imparts training at her state-of-the-art Karnala Sports Academy shooting range in Panvel and Fr. Agnel's Sport Complex in Vashi, Navi Mumbai

Indian shooters at Rio

Abhinav Bindra 10 m air rifle
Kynan Chenai Trap
Mairaj Ahmad Khan Skeet
Prakash Nanjappa 50 m pistol
Gagan Narang 10 m air rifle,
50 m rifle prone
50 m rifle 3 positions
Jitu Rai 10 m air pistol,
50 m pistol
Chain Singh 50 m rifle prone,
50 m rifle 3 positions
Gurpreet Singh 10 m air pistol,
25 m rapid fire pistol
Manavjit Sandhu Trap
Apurvi Chandela 10 m air rifle
Ayonika Paul 10m air rifle
Heena Sidhu 10 m air pistol
25 m pistol